by Kira Blakely
“So how do you spend your days now?” Father said, and I swirled the whiskey around some more, taking my time with that question. I was in no hurry to please him.
“On site, helping with the engineering work. On most days,” I replied, after several seconds. I hadn’t seen him in many months, probably four or five, and even in that short span of time he looked like he had grown older. A new woman, this time much closer to his age, who had greeted me at the door when I came to the house.
“So, you’re never actually in the office? Who is looking after the business?” he asked, in a sharp accusatory voice.
“I am. I give the business side of things my equal attention,” I said, taking a sip of the drink in my hand.
My father’s blue gaze skewered me; he was extremely displeased. “But you can’t give up the engineering, is that it? You have all this wealth, the success of the company depends on you, and yet you have to pretend like you’re some kind of blue-collar working-class man,” he said, sticking his nose up in the air and looking away from me.
I shook my head and smiled into my glass. I knew exactly what he was going to say next.
“It’s because of that Bonnie Calhoun. She’s the one who’s gotten you involved in all this,” he said.
I met his eyes, arching an eyebrow. “You’re right, Father. She’s the one who gave me the strength and inspiration to pursue my passion. I couldn’t have done it without her.” I knew that the smile on my face bothered him. He jerked his head away from me again, and this time I nearly laughed.
“So, you’re still cohabiting with her?” he asked, looking up at another one of our ancestor’s portrait. It was like he was praying to the regal old man with his eyes closed. I couldn’t believe I had been so afraid of this man in my childhood. That I had allowed him to affect my life this much.
“Yes, I live with Bonnie. She’s my girlfriend,” I said, placing the empty glass back down on the coffee table in front of me.
“You better watch out, son. Women like her, they’re only ever after our money. She lost her company and now thinks she can just milk the loss out of you,” he said.
My temples throbbed. This was why I’d stayed away from him for so long, because I couldn’t bear to hear him be nasty to Bonnie.
“She doesn’t need my money, Father, and she’s not after yours either. She’s managed just fine without it for twenty-eight years. And she isn’t like the women you cohabit with either. Luckily for me, I have better taste,” I said and stood up.
Father looked up at me, visibly offended by what I’d said. “I worked hard for this company, son. As did my father. We came to this country to establish an empire and we did. And now my own son is going to run it to the ground. I should never have asked you to take my place. I should never have signed it over to you,” he thundered, his voice choking in a fit of coughs. He was getting old and frail, and I felt a pang of guilt for not sympathizing with him.
I clenched my jaws and pushed my hands into my pockets, giving him a few moments to compose himself. If he hadn’t been such an asshole to me all my life, I might even have felt a little sorry for him. But I couldn’t, not after all the ways he had found to make me feel like I was never good enough. The truth was that he wasn’t good enough. At least not a good enough father.
“You didn’t ask me to take your place; you forced me to. You emotionally blackmailed me into giving my career up to run this business. And now you can’t trust me to run it well. It’s mine now anyway, Father, and I can do with it as I please,” I said and, without waiting for a response, I walked away from him, toward the door of his living room.
“You were fine before you met her!” he cried from behind me, and I forced myself to not turn around.
No, I wasn’t fine before I met Bonnie. My father didn’t know how I had felt all my life. He didn’t know how everything had changed when I met her in college. How I strove to impress her, how I studied hard so she would have some reason to look at me, even if it was to pass me a look of contempt. My father had no clue how my life had changed after Bonnie moved in with me.
I didn’t need the approval of my family anymore. I didn’t need to sleep with faceless countless women to numb the feeling of insecurity I constantly felt.
Now that I had Bonnie in my life, I was a satisfied man. I was free to live the way I always wanted to, and I had her by my side.
Bonnie
I heard Joe opening the front door and greeting Nash outside the living room, and I straightened on the couch. I’d nearly dozed off, reading and waiting for Nash to return. As his footsteps approached the living room, I could feel my heart racing. I couldn’t believe I was still so excited to see him after just a few hours apart. When was it going to sink in, that Nash was my boyfriend, that we were living together now?
He opened the door, and strode straight toward me. I had barely gotten a chance to sit up but Nash was at my side, pulling me into his arms. Our lips fused together in a kiss, like we were still long-lost lovers, meeting after decades of separation. His hands found my nape and he pinned me to him, propping me up like a doll against his body.
When I placed the palm of my hand on his chest, I could feel it throbbing.
“How was your day?” I asked, pulling away from him. When I looked into Nash’s eyes, they looked narrow and dark. He was anxious and nervous. I sighed, expecting a torrent of rage spurting out of him any moment now. The visit to his father couldn’t have gone well.
“It was eventful,” Nash said, releasing me so that I fell back down on the couch with a thump.
He looked handsome in his pinstriped suit, his tie loosened at his neck. His hair looked disheveled like he had been running his hands through it all day. His jaws were clenched, and they looked sharp and rugged. He was standing in front of me with his legs spread apart, concentrating on my face like he was trying to draw some energy from it.
I still didn’t want to broach the subject. “I met Nell for lunch today and she said that she’s bought us tickets to Ibiza for next month,” I said, changing the topic.
Nash’s eyes shot about the room nervously, I was expecting to him to burst into anger any moment now. God! What had his father said this time?
“Oh yeah?” he said, trying to force a tone of naturalness to his voice. I knew him too well by now to know to believe it. “Just the two of you? For how long?”
“Ten days. We haven’t gone away for so long, and now that I’m living at the other end of the city, I think she feels like we don’t see each other enough,” I replied.
“That’ll be nice. You need to get away, catch a break from all this,” he said, his voice finally softening.
Looking up at his face, I wrapped my arms adoringly around his slim chiseled waist. He felt warm to the touch, but now that I was close to him again, I could see that his cheeks were flushed.
“I don’t need a break from you, Nash. That’s not why I’m going away with her,” I said softly and our eyes met.
Nash nodded and remained silent, allowing his hands to rest on my shoulders for a while.
We were staring at each other, like really staring, just silently without a word. And it felt like we could keep doing that for ages.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, breaking the silence after what felt like at least ten minutes.
Nash drew in his breath and shook his head. “About my visit to Father? No, I don’t,” he said, pushing me slightly away from him.
My brows furrowed immediately, and I scrunched my face at him. “Nash, I think we should talk about it. You need to get it out of your system. You look wrecked,” I said, a hint of concern coloring my voice now.
Nash shook his head again and walked over to stand in front of the fireplace.
“I’m not wrecked because of him. I’m nervous about something else,” he said, pushing his hands into his pocket.
I crossed my arms over my breasts as I faced him, my brows still furrowed.
“You’re nerv
ous? Nash Preston, nervous?” I said with a laugh, but only a soft smile graced the sides of his lips. He hadn’t found it funny. Shit, he was really nervous! Something terrible had happened.
“Yeah, I always get nervous when I do something for the first time, I’m only human,” he said, and I was shaking my head in confusion.
“What have you done, Nash?” I asked, my terror rising now. I tried to think of all the things I thought Nash was capable of doing. Had he abused his father? Smashed a flower vase? Destroyed one of his father’s prized family portraits? Nash’s calm level headedness dictated that one of those acts would be considered by him to be immensely violent.
“I haven’t done anything yet,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.
I noticed how the look in his eyes was changing now. He didn’t look as nervous anymore, instead he was extracting a hand out of his pocket. And then he was kneeling on one knee. And on one open palm lay a blue velvet box. Still unopened.
“Bonnie Veronica Calhoun,” he said and stupidly, the first thought in my head was; when did I tell him my middle name? I wasn’t thinking straight. My hands flew to my mouth, and not a word came out.
“Will you do me the honor of marrying me? I know I don’t deserve you, but you will make me the happiest man alive,” he continued.
Even before he had completed the sentence, I had hurled myself at him. I was bent forward kissing him, my hands weaving through his hair. I had never been happier.
“Yes, of course, I will! Yes, I will,” I gushed, red in the face and hot tears pricking the back of my eyelids.
Nash stood up, grabbing my chin and pulling it to him so we could kiss.
“How long have you been carrying this around in your pocket?” I asked when I pulled away from him, gasping for air.
Nash popped the box open to reveal a teardrop-shaped pink diamond ring, bigger than any stone I had ever seen. “Not long. I didn’t second guess this decision, Bonnie. The right time to ask you is when I thought of it. Which was right now,” he said, as he slipped the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly, glittering in the dim light of the living room.
“You just bought the ring?” I asked, laughing uncontrollably. This was actually happening, the man who I always thought was out of reach, out of bounds, had just asked me to marry him. I had spent all my college years, and the years after, judging him and judging myself. I should have followed my heart from the start; I should have known that Nash Preston was always the man for me.
“No, it’s my mother’s. It’s been passed down in my family for four generations. I had it in my study, I picked it up before I came in here,” Nash was laughing. The nervousness in his gaze had gone now; he looked like he felt he was finally free.
I stared down at the ring, which sparkled as I moved my finger. When I looked up at his face, Nash was smiling again.
“Before she died, she told me to give it to a girl who Father disapproved of. She knew him better than anyone else,” he said, placing his hands on my waist. Nash kissed me again, tenderly on my lips and then my cheeks.
“So, when Father made it clear to me today that he disapproved of you, I knew it was a sign. I knew it was now or never, and I had finally found the woman I was supposed to spend my life with,” he continued after he was done kissing me. When our gazes locked again, we both knew what was going to happen next. Nash was already unbuttoning his shirt.
The End
Vincent
I needed to decompress in the middle of nowhere—and I found Gemma Ramsey, a girl who didn’t want to be found. She’s the kind of woman who leaves marks on your body. Making love to each other was our only concern. The perfect vacation for me. There was only one problem—this wasn’t a vacation for Gemma. This was her home. Her real life. I wanted more, but did she?
Gemma
I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel while glaring out the windshield. The empty can of soda that rattled around at my feet with the motions of the car didn’t bother me; my mind was elsewhere. I had the window on my side rolled down, and despite the cold breeze wafting straight from the snowcapped mountains behind me, I was too warm. I was anxious in my seat, hot under my collar and desperate. I’d never said it out loud or even thought the words in my head, but I was desperate to get out of this town.
I was late for work. Not by much, but Big Mike wasn’t going to be decent about it. I hadn’t been able to drag myself out of bed today, as much as I tried giving myself the usual pep-talk. The alarm kept ringing, and I could hear Mom’s voice in the kitchen, shouting because the sound of the alarm was bothering her. I couldn’t even bring myself to reach out and turn it off. It was like my limbs were frozen, and it had nothing to do with the temperature dropping outside.
Twenty-six years in this godforsaken little town, but Carlow Ridge had always been good enough for me. I had never stepped out of the state of Washington in my life, never had the need or the courage. All these years in the same trailer park, the only child of parents who couldn’t afford anything more than a trailer. The only justification for why I was such a happy child and miserable now, was because back then I didn’t know any better. This was my town, this was my family and the trailer was our home. But now I did know better. Now I knew that I could get into medical school if I could just get through college.
The sharp blare of a horn behind me snapped me out of my thoughts, and I swerved to give way. Clenching my jaws, I gripped the steering wheel even more tightly, slowing down. This wasn’t exactly going well for me. I was late for work anyway, and my mind was buzzing.
Back to sweating the small stuff again. Well, it wasn’t exactly small stuff anymore. Not when it had completely taken over my life. I had this incredible urge to just leave everything behind, my life as I knew it, and disappear. Forget my responsibilities, forget my parents, this town… Just quit. And then what? Med school wasn’t just going to happen automatically for me. I still needed to finish college. College that I could barely afford any more. And what about my parents? I was their only child, and they were both growing older. I couldn’t just forget about them. I couldn’t be that selfish.
I jiggled my toes in my shoes, my impatience catching up to me. In one swift motion, I turned the radio on, hoping the music might help soothe my nerves. Not a chance.
My dark curls blew in the breeze coming in through the open window, lashing against my face as I drove. I didn’t bother pushing them away from my eyes. They were sort of comforting for a strange reason, softly tickling the tip of my small sharp nose. I didn’t have to look at myself in the rearview mirror to know that my cheeks now matched the bright pink color of my lips. The cold wind always did that to my usually porcelain pale skin. I gulped as I tried not to think about my life. I needed to worry about getting to the diner. Bigger life problems could be dealt with later.
I didn’t bother to dress up for work these days, and especially not today, when I could hardly bring myself to get out of bed. I wore a pair of faded blue jeans and a black V-neck sweater. The only pop of color was the pink tank top I wore inside.
I realized now that I was unconsciously playing with one of the small silver earrings dangling from my ears. I twisted the wiry hoop over and over again, just for the sake of having something to do with my free hand.
I didn’t want to have to face Big Mike, not today, not on such a shitty day. But I knew he was going to let me have it. He had allowed me to only take the dayshifts, because I begged him to let me have the nights off so I could study. So now, from time to time, he threw me looks of condemnation, like he thought he deserved some kind of additional praise for giving me a break.
I rolled my eyes just thinking about him. He wasn’t doing me any favors. I was doing him a favor by working at that place where there were only four items on the menu. It wasn’t exactly the Ritz.
A sound like a gunshot rang out in the air, jerking me out of my bitter thoughts about Big Mike. I looked around in sudden fear, checking all my mirrors. There didn’t seem to
be any other vehicle on the road, not another living soul. Then I heard the rattling sound of my tire, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was only a flat tire.
Only my flat tire! I huffed hotly as I slowed the car down, pulling it to the side of the road. Seriously, today of all days! What had I done to deserve this? How had I displeased the gods? For a second, I wondered if it was retribution for thinking about leaving this town. Like the universe was sending me a message that I could never get out of this place. Not alive anyway.
And now I was going to be majorly late for work. There was no rescuing me.
Vincent
How long had it been since I’d driven a car? Being chauffeured had its perks, but it felt wonderful to be behind the wheel again. I drove at a slow, even pace, enjoying the breathtaking mountain views around me. The hills were snow-capped, like chocolate and vanilla cone swirls. Despite the cold weather, the trees around here were evergreen, shrouding the horizon in thick blankets of varying shades of green. I couldn’t imagine an unhappy soul in this little town.
I hadn’t realized how badly I needed a break. I’d been working non-stop for the past two years, without a moment to breathe, and now it was finally over. I’d achieved what I’d set out to do. I would never have thought I’d be saying this, but I had found the cure for Coeliac Disease.
An involuntary smile tilted my lips as the thought floated in my head. It had been three months since we’d filed the patent, our stocks had skyrocketed and the money and praise came flooding in. And now I finally had a chance to get away, even if it was for an official retreat. This was something.
I couldn’t really get away though, could I? Not in the true sense of the phrase. My family’s old Russian aristocratic legacy, my billionaire status, the work I was involved in… those were all important factors that ensured I was never truly out of the limelight. Magazines would continue to rank me in their most-eligible-bachelor lists, and I’d always have the paparazzi following my every move. There was no such thing as an actual vacation for me. No privacy. Official retreats were the only kind of vacations I was allowed to take. I sighed. I should have been proud; I should have been satisfied. What else could a man possibly ask from life?